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Brian W. Barnett
William Finn’s Musical Theatre Lab series at Barrington Stage is off to a great start this season with a very adult musical by Kirsten Childs, "Funked Up Fairy Tales." Childs, writing book, lyrics and music, has taken three classic children’s stories from three different cultural backgrounds and recreated them in a crazy quilt crossover world where black or white, everybody is funky, talks street talk and lives their lives according to the needs and dictates of "Three Magical Fairies," who have set out to get their eternal tiaras.
The tales are "The Pig Prince" an Italian classic here called "K-Pig," the Scottish "Tam-Lin" which has been converted into the trailer-park country musical "Tammi-Lynn" and the Grimm Brothers fairy story "Rumpelstiltskin" which is called, here, "Mistah Skin." Two of these transitions are very successful and one less so. Fortunately, in this one hour and fifty minutes show without an intermission, the first and last fairy tale musicals are terrific. Only "Tammi-Lynn" doesn’t quite make the grade, and it would be wonderful if Childs could replace this piece with one that comes up to the quality of the other two.
As funny as the material is, and it is funny, the company employed to perform these pieces are howlers. No matter what they say or do, they are outrageously humorous. The three fairies desperate to secure their futures by producing happy endings to their stories are Titania, played by Christy McIntosh, Faireetheeya played by Rashidra Scott and Magikwanda played by Alysha Umphress. They introduce each tale, do a wrap-up at the end and take on other characters as well during the entertainment. All three women are delicious, none moreso than Umphress who makes her particular fairy so street-wise she could easily take command of the West Side Highway in New York City and rule!
The cast of six players take on all sorts of roles. Demond Green is King Leo in the first story and Rumpelstiltskin in the third and in between plays a devilish sort of imp. Edwina Findley has a fine time as Queen Ersilia in "K-Pig", a variety of old women in other stories and the stage mother from Hell in the final piece. Heath Calvert is quite something in his princely parts, including Jimmy John in the middle work, the title character in the first story and Hank in the final show. While it may not be fair to you, the reader, to tell you this Beyoncé puts in a hilarious appearance and almost makes "Tammi-Lynn" a worthwhile experience. Should Childs replace that story with another, I would hope that she could work in this Beyoncé from the Beyond number. It was a brilliant parody.
Kevin Del Aguila has done a brilliant job with his band of six on a small stage area. The show is never dull, never less than it could be. Working with this material, he has traded on classical stage techniques and routines, turning them into self-parody, added a look and a style of his own and emerged with a fluid, silver-band of a show that never lets up and keeps audience interest even during those few slow moments that any show is likely to produce.
There are some definite musical highlights here. "Three Magical Fairies," "I Wanna Get Married Momma (Even Though I’m a Pig)," "Don’t Look for Nothin’ That Can’t Be Found," from the first story, "The Moon and the Stars," "Hey, Beyoncé" from the second piece and "Straw Into Gold" from the last piece are memorable.
The tiny production at the Berkshire Athenaeum, Second Stage for Barrington Stage Company, is arranged in proscenium style (it is a flexible space that has already been used this season by the company in three quarter thrust). Brian Prather has designed the set, Jeff Davis (a client of this reviewer) has designed the lighting, and Matthew Hemesath has created the costumes. It is a wonderful show to watch. All three elements are integrated into the stories and illuminate for us, instantly, the characters in each piece. The official setting for the show is "the land that has no name at this time out of all times." The design team has captured that concept well with both familiar looks and odd ones, lit with a glitter that creates depth the stage cannot possibly hold.
Even with its slight slump in the center, "Funked Up Fairy Tales" is a joy in the dog-days of August. If it were to move to a New York venue, it should be a place that will allow the audience the same sort of closeness to the company. Magic is always best close up. The illusionists know this and the production team highlights it here. Sparkle takes center stage and sparkle is what this show is about.
◊08/12/2007◊
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| Rashidra Scott, Alysha Umphress and Christy McIntosh as Three Magical Fairies; photo: Brian W. Barnett |
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